Belize Travel Guide - Going Out

There is a selection of restaurants which serve international, Chinese, Creole and Latin American food. Service and quality vary but the food is generally cheap.

National specialities:
• Tacos, corn or flour tortillas, with shredded chicken, onions, cabbage and cilantro.
• Rice-and-beans; for a change of pace, switch to beans-and-rice (where the beans are cooked separately and spooned with their own gravy over white rice).
• Split peas and pigtail over rice.
• Game meats, including deer, hicatee, iguana or gibnut.
• Plantains, fried to a sweet golden brown.

National drinks:
• Coconut rum mixed with pineapple juice.
• Belikin beer.
• Fresh orange, lime, watermelon or cantaloupe juice.

Tipping: Few places add service charges, and 15% is normal.

While Belize could not be considered a major clubbing destination, there is no shortage of bars throughout the country. In Belize City, the main spots tend to be the bars in the top-end hotels, which usually have live bands. There is also a casino here. San Pedro, on Ambergris Caye, has a lively bar scene and a couple of clubs.

Souvenirs include Belizean art and jewellery, clothing, handcrafted wood and bamboo products, Belizean spices and sauces and local beauty treatments. Travellers should be aware of their home country's rules on importing exotic goods. In the UK, for example, there are restrictions on importing tortoiseshell goods and jewellery made from endangered coral.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0800-1200, 1300-1630 and 1900-2100. Some shops close on Wednesday afternoons.